starcraftfandomcom-20200213-history
Stalker
The stalker is a Dark Templar cybernetic war machine. Overview faces down a stalker]] The fall of Aiur demonstrated to the Dark Templar that more than just stealth and guile were required to defeat the zerg. Hence, the Dark Templar developed the stalker, a war machine inspired by the Khalai dragoon. While dragoons were piloted by crippled protoss warriors, the stalker is controlled by the shadow-essence of a Dark Templar warrior fused into a metal body. Nerazim who control stalkers undergo this process voluntarily, said process involving a ritual which fuses their shadow essence to the machine. This gives them a preternatural degree of control over their new bodies. The process cannot be reversed. Stalkers are armed with carapace-mounted particle disrupters adept against both ground and aerial targets.Blizzard Entertainment (2007-05-19). Stalker. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-06. These weapons draw upon the power of the Dark Templar’s training and technology to fire lethal blasts of entropic Void energy. Each shot destabilizes matter at a fundamental level, and ultimately tears it apart by disintegrating its atomic composition. The particle disrupters are especially effective against materials with high hardness indexes—like chitinous carapaces or heavy armor plating. Stalkers have been credited with many fantastic powers since their battlefield début. (as early as 2502).Elder, Josh (w), Ramanda Kamarga (p). "Why We Fight." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 1 (paperback binding), pp. 6–47. Tokyopop, August 1, 2008. ISBN 978-1427-80721-2.April 6, 2010. "Timeline". StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). pp. 311 - 323. ISBN 978-1416-55084-6. However, only one is witnessed consistently: an ability to instantly teleport, or "blink", from one spot to another. This ability requires augmentation to a stalker,http://sea.battle.net/sc2/en/game/unit/stalker Unit: Stalker], Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2010-12-14 through the implementation of a device called a Void displacer. When enabled, the displacer grants stalkers the ability to fade and materialize instantly at a different location, affording them an unprecedented degree of mobility, perfect for quick strikes against the enemy.2014-10-30, Stalker Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-11-04 The improved mobility allows stalkers to conduct ambushes, catch fleeing foes, and generally engage on their own terms. However, each "blink" generates a flux that taxes the stalker's systems. It must go through a brief recharge period before initiating another displacement. Stalkers are often used to support zealots on the battlefield.Races: Protoss. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2010-08-07 Game Unit |gun1name=Particle disruptors |gun1strength=10 (+4 vs armored) |gun1attacks= |gun1ground=X |gun1air=X |gun1cool=1.44 |gun1range=6 |gun1upgrd=+1 |gun2name= |gun2strength= |gun2attacks= |gun2ground= |gun2air= |gun2cool= |gun2range= |gun2upgrd= |addons= |evolvesto= |produce= |allows= |research= |ability= |priority=20 |killscore=500 |makescore=250 |lostscore= |notes= |structure= |hero= |campaign= |npc= |cancel= |nocat= |concatbott= |concattop= }} In-game, stalkers function like fragile, but more agile dragoons. They serve as excellent economy raiders.Zetaras Xal'Kurat. 2008-03-16. StarCraft 2 Korean and Chinese Build Summary. SC2 Blog. Accessed 2008-03-18. Stalkers can dance like a dragoonKarune. 2008-07-16. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 41. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-07-16.. This may be enhanced by Blinking, especially in multilevel terrain. Stalkers are effective against units with low damage per second, especially with Blink micro.Stalkers still fall to large groups of Zerglings in terms of cost, even with Blink micro. Although, with the additional micro, especially while also using terrain to your advantage, a Protoss player will definitely be able to at least fight a group of Zerglings, rather than being forced to retreat. In the Sonkie/Yellow game 1, the Blinking micro definitely kept his Stalkers alive longer, though force firing would have ended that battle in the Protoss favor as well, since the Stalker has bonus damage towards armored units like the Roach. Zerglings are still definitely the best counter against Stalkers from the Zerg side, especially since the improved pathing system allows them to get to their ordered locations faster and are able to surround more efficiently. The cooldown for Blink is perfect in saving Stalkers from death against Roaches which have a much lower rate of dps than Zerglings. Against Zerglings, the cooldown is not fast enough, similar to the announcement video of the Protoss race when the Stalkers were first introduced. Karune. 2008-10-14. Re: Stalkers seem imba (page 3). Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-10-14. The reverse is true for offensive units, especially those with attack bonuses against armored units.Stalker. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2012-05-28 Zerglings are cost effective counters to stalkers; the Blink cooldown is too slow to ensure escape. Stalker/sentry combinations are common in mid-game scenarios.2012-06-08, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - Battle Report (Protoss vs Zerg). Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2012-06-21 Abilities Legacy of the Void In the campaign of Legacy of the Void, stalkers can be upgraded to possess a "shadow blink" ability. This causes a stalker to become invisible for a few seconds after blinking.2014-11-?, Is anyone else excited for the Legacy of the Void campaign?. Reddit, accessed on 2014-12-14 Upgrades Legacy of the Void Additional stalker upgrades may be researched at the twilight council when playing as Vorazun in the Co-op Missions mode of Legacy of the Void.2015-10-08, LotV Data Hidden in Patch, accessed via map editor. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2015-10-08 Quotations :See: StarCraft II Stalker Quotations Development thumb|The stalker (early render) The concept behind the stalker was that of a "dark dragoon." It took awhile for the specifics to be nailed down.2011-05-31, May 2011 HoTS Fansite Interview. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2011-05-31 The design was finessed several times as its asymmetrical shield and legs gave it a zerg-like appearance. This dictated that platinum be made the dominant color in order to distinguish it (which led to platinum being the dominant color for Dark Templar as a whole). However, the shield made the stalker look heavier and more imposing from some angles, while weak and frail from other views. It was eventually settled that the stalker should have a medium sized shield to interfere the least with visual communication.2010, Starcraft 2: Protoss Stalker' Deviantart, accessed on 2011-07-20 Eventually, Samwise Didier called for an overhaul, wanting the stalker to be based more on his original concept art. The stalker was thus redesigned, and the new model was revealed at BlizzCon 2008.Karune. 2008-07-16. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 43. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-07-16. Achievements Heroes of the Storm '' stalkers]] Stalkers appeared in early builds of Heroes of the Storm.2014-05-21, Blizzard set out to make a StarCraft mod, and instead reinvented gaming's most popular genre. Polygon, accessed on 2014-05-22 Trivia The stalker resembles the Shock Trooper from Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars in appearance, purpose (anti-armor ranged fighter), and ability to blink. Gallery File:Taldarim Stalker SC2 Rend.jpg|Tal'darim stalker. References